


Of Beds and Chalk

by our_winter



Category: Jurassic World (2015)
Genre: Alternative Universe - No Island, But most fluff maybe there will be some smut, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-19
Updated: 2015-08-24
Packaged: 2018-04-15 13:06:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4607883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/our_winter/pseuds/our_winter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zach is in love with his teacher and now he has to travel with him. This can't be a good thing, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry for any mistakes you find here, please let me know so I can fix them.

Zach knows he is fucked the moment the girl behind the desk says with an apologetic smile:

“Sorry but we only have a double room.”

It’s late, they had driven the last few hours looking for a motel and this is the only that existed in miles according to the girl. He is so tired he thinks he would fall asleep in the entrance hall, but the thought of sleeping in the same room, in the same _bed_ as Mr. Grady makes him feel dizzy. This has been the utterly problem of his life for almost all this year.

Zach had always loved History, he loves how concrete it is, love to know how people used to live in other ages and how things changed since then; his love just increased when Mr. Grady started to teach his class, the man talked about History with such passion, he so clearly knew and loved what he was saying that the boy found himself more and more fascinated by his classes. A few months after he had started to teach them Zach caught himself working in a project with the teacher. It was not love at first sight. Attraction? Sure. The entire school was drooling at the sight of the new teacher, well, you have to has brain damage to not had to. However, the problem is: the attraction turned into other thing; the more time he spent with Mr. Grady, the more he knew him, more he looked forward to know him more.

Zach is not stupid, he knows his case is hopeless. Mr. Grady is kind and funny, and make the boy’s heart flutters every time he smiles at him. However, the point is: he is a teacher and he would never look at Zach that way. The boy thought about dropping the project when he realized that he was hopeless in love with his professor, but he couldn’t, just the thought of not seeing Mr. Grady as often as he do, and the thought of disappointing him had the boy swallowing his feelings and acting like nothing had changed.

So now he is trapped on a motel with his crush and said crush is saying that they’re going to share  room.

“We will take it.”

Zach is sure he looks as betrayed as he feel, but Mr. Grady just take the keys from the girl and walks down the hall. Zach follows him with a resigned sigh.

The room is light blue with beige sheets and a small plan TV, the boy looks around eagerly for a couch or an armchair even where he could sleep and feels his stomach sinks when he finds none.

“You can stay with the bed, I will take the floor.”

Zach’s eyes snap up and he shakes his head.

“No Mr. Grady, I stay in the floor.”

The man turns to him with a fond smile playing on his lips.

“I already told you a thousand times to call me Owen.”

Zach doesn’t need to tell him that he doesn’t want to crumble that wall too. He averts the teacher’s eyes and moves to put his backpack beside the bed.

“Zach.” His voice is soft and the boy ignores the shiver that run down his spine. “There’s room enough for both of us, we can share.”

He glares at the bed that is the source of all of his problems in the moment. He can’t keep fighting with the man or he is going to be suspicious, he sighs and pushes his hair out of his eyes.

“Okay.”

Mr. Grady seems surprised for a moment that he agreed but he nods and let his backpack on the other side of the bed.

“Do you want to take the shower first?”

The boy is nodding even before he had finished. He would probably drive himself mad waiting for the man to finish, and he really doesn’t need the sight of his teacher with wet hair and fresh from the shower invading his dreams, especially tonight. He gathers his things and locks himself into the bathroom. Zach leans heavily against the door and close his eyes taking deep breaths. _What am I doing?_ He know he is acting strange since they had entered Mr. Grady’s car that morning and that the man knows something is wrong, he had to calm down and put his shit together. Stripping he enters the shower and let the hot water relax his tense muscles. He survived all this months and he sure can survive a few more.

Mr. Grady is sitting on the bed and watching some show on the TV when Zach comes out the bathroom, he is completely aware of his thin gray pajamas and skinny pale body, the man gives him a small smile and he tries hard not to blush but fails miserably, he sits cross legged against the headboard and puts a pillow on his lap looking blankly at the TV.

_He is sitting in one of the desks, the classroom is empty unless for them, they had already finished their work for the day and now Mr. Grady is drawing in the blackboard the dinosaurs he liked more when he was a kid, he is constantly changing the color of the chalks and telling him the stories about them, Zach can’t contain the corner of his lmouth from turning up._

_“This is Echo, Charlie, Delta and Blue.” He points at the respective velociraptors in the board, surprisingly well drawn. “She is the beta.”_

_Zach lifts an eyebrow, an amused smile playing on his lips while he leans back on his chair._

_“And who is the alpha?”_

_Mr. Grady looks at him with a lopsided smile that makes the boy’s heart skip a beat._

_“You’re looking at him kid.”_

_“Careful or you will stumble in your ego.”_

_The teacher chuckles, a warm and bright song that leaves Zach’s stomach turning into knots._

_“Come on, your turn.”_

_“What?”_

_“Draw your favorite dinosaur.”_

_He takes a moment to remember the mosasaurus. Most of the kids liked the T-Rex, triceraptor or the brontosaurus, but he liked the sea, so he found a dinosaur with eighteen meters that ruled the ocean. He still has his favorite toy on his desk and often holds him when needs to think or is concerned with something. He stands and catches a blue chalk between all of the others Mr. Grady had spread on his desk, from the corner of his eye he can see the man watching him with a small smile and arms crossed, he scratches his nose biting the inside of his cheek while trying to draw. He have no idea of what he is doing, he hasn’t draw in ages, but sometime later he finishes writing Bob above the draw and takes a step back to look at his work._

_“What kind of name is Bob?”_

_Mr. Grady is chuckling and Zach glares at him._

_“I was four, not looking much for originality.”_

_“I had a complete pack.”_

_“Well, you clearly are more imaginative than me.”_

_Zach mutters rolling his eyes, the man stops beside him and looks at the board._

_“What the hell you tried to draw here?”_

_Looking at the board too Zach has to admit that he just know what the dinosaur is because he had drawn it, but he would be damned if he admitted that, especially to the man smirking at him._

_“Come on, you’re the History teacher.”_

_“History, not abstract art.”_

_Zach rolls his eyes and leans a little back, lifting an eyebrow and waiting for an answer. Mr. Grady sighs and turns his attention back to the board. The boy takes the moment to look at him, just a few stolen moments like he do every day. His green eyes are shining with amusement, lips quirked, shoulders relaxed, he is wearing a black button up and jeans today, his arms are crossed but not in a defensive form, and Zach wonders not for the first time how it would be like to be hold between them._

_“A procompsognathus? Edmontosaurus? Mastodon?”_

_“That’s not even a dinosaur.”_

_Zach chuckles. The man looks at him for a moment like he is trying to understand all the secrets of the universe and Zach is the most hard of them. He squirms a little under the other’s gaze and the teacher blinks looking back at the board._

_“I dunno kid.”_

_Zach smiles even if his cheeks are still a bit flushed._

_“It’s a mosasaurus.”_

_“The sea dinosaur?”_

_The boy nods and Mr. Grady frowns._

_“Why?”_

_“I always liked the sea, always liked the way it is free and wild, the smell of salty and the sound of the waves hitting the sand, the way the wind seems to try to take your feet out of the ground and drags you to the water, how it is blue and green, and gray and black. You can’t know everything about it.”_

_Zach shuts himself when he realizes that he is talking too much, he had just bared another part of his life for a man whom he already had given too much of himself. Looking at him from the corner of his eyes he sees that Mr. Grady has a fond smile on his lips while looking soft at the boy, he opens his mouth to say something,_ anything _that will make the man stop looking at him that way, but he is beaten on that._

_“There’s powder on your cheek.”_

_Zach rubs his hands against his cheeks and that just earns him a chuckle from the teacher._

_“What?”_

_He looks up and the way Mr. Grady is looking at him makes his throat close._

_“Here.”_

_Zach stays completely still, like a deer caught in the headlights while the man lifts his hand and brushes his cheek with his thumb, his big hand molds perfectly along the boy’s jaw, and it’s warm and calloused making him gasp. He is looking at him so warm and adoringly, like Zach means something to him, and he wants to save this moment on his memory for the rest of his life. For a split second Mr. Grady’s eyes fall to his lips but it’s so fast he thinks he must had imagined that, the man takes a step back, letting his hand fall by his side and Zach misses the warmth instantly, he hasn’t realized he was holding his breath till it come out of his lungs on a ragged breath._

_“There, clean as new.”_

“Zach?”

He jumps almost falling out of the bed if it was not for the hand that holds his arm and pulls him back, he turns his head to stare at the man, the place where his fingers touch the boy’s skin sending fire to all his body.

“Hey, ease there.”

He let’s go of his arm and Zach doesn’t know if he is grateful or want the touch back.

“What?”

His voice manages to sound normal even if his heart is racing, he looks into Mr. Grady’s green eyes, they remember him of the sea and that just makes him love them even more.

“Are you ok?”

He furrows his brows and the man continues.

“You’re distracted all the day.”

“I… Uh…”

What is he going to say?

“You’re worried about the convention?”

He just nods. Even if he barely thought about the convention all the day. Mr. Grady gives him a reassuringly smile.

“Everything is going to be fine. The project is very good and you know what you’re talking about.”

He gives his arm a squeeze before standing.

“I’m going to take my shower and you should sleep.”

Zach nods and watches the man walk to the bathroom, he is almost through the door when he takes his shirt off making the boy’s mouth goes dry. The man’s back are miles of muscled tanned skin that looks soft and tempting, and he wants to run his fingers along it or rubs his face there. The door closes and Zach shakes his head tucking himself under the sheets, turning into a tight ball and trying to make himself as small as he can to leave the man more room and not risk to touch him. He hears him turn the shower on and the water starting to flow, burying his face deep into the pillow he tries to gather his mind, the excuse of the convention will not save him on the journey back and in all this months Mr. Grady had come to know him pretty well, surely he will note if the boy keep acting so stiff around him. _You can do this, it’s just more two days and everything will be back to normal._ As normal as it can be when you love your teacher.

He sighs squeezing his eyes shut and his heart skips a beat when the bathroom door swings open, he keeps his eyes closed and breath stead while hearing the man moving around, he turns the TV off and turn off the lights, Zach’s entire body tremble with anticipation when the mattress change with the weight of Mr. Grady’s body, he moves a little to get comfortable and settles after a moment. They both stay very still, Zach trying not to hyperventilate and gives away that he is still wake, but the man fall asleep easily, his breath slowing and going very quiet; Zach can’t make his body relax and his mind don’t stop swirling with the thought of what it would be like to be pressed against the muscled body, and how much he wanted that. His heart beats painfully against his ribs. He wants, he just wants so much, unfortunately he just wants what he can’t have.

 

 

***

 

 

He blinks slowly to the sunlight coming from the window and dancing through his closed eyelids, his mind is thick with sleep and he is so warm that he closes his eyes again and buries his back more into the warmth coming from behind him, a strong arm tightens around his waist and he takes a minute to notice that something is wrong. The events from the last day come rushing to him, and he would have fallen out of the bed if it was not for the arm holding him firmly on place. He takes a moment to try to calm his racing heart. A small puff of breath on his nape sends a shiver down his spine, his entire body is flat pressed against Mr. Grady’s bigger one, he is so big that Zach thinks he would hide behind him and no one would find him, his skin is warm and electricity runs where his skin touches the man’s, the feeling of his chest raising and falling is soothing, even if the boy’s heart can’t stop jumping. He closes his eyes and takes a steady breath. He can steal this moment for himself, right? Mr. Grady is sleeping and no one would know. Zach let his mind wanders and he imagines what it would be like to wake every day to this feeling, how he would turn and buries his face into the man’s chest and breathes him in, that smell of forest and sea – like a tropical jungle – that is just so utterly _his_ , thinks about a kiss placed in the crown of his head, hands caressing slowly his body, lazy kisses placed along his shoulder, the feeling to belong somewhere, and his chest clenches painfully because he can’t have this.

He can’t have anything that is good for too long. His parents have let him aside when he was three in favor of his baby brother, his best friend Max moved away when he was ten and since his parents had started the divorce they can’t think about something else. Countless nights he would carry a wide eyed Gray to his room, and they both would put his headphones on and let the music subside the yelling. He knew something was wrong but it was Gray who confirmed his thoughts.

_They’re sitting side by side on Zach’s bed and Gray is looking through his new History book while he makes a playlist for them, the little boy is incredibly quiet, usually he would be talking without stop and pointing the dinosaurs on the pages, Zach keep scrolling his phone screen and selecting calm songs, something that would relax his and Gray’s tense shoulders._

_“If mom and dad divorce we will have to live in separated homes?”_

_Zach’s head swings up to meet his little brother blue eyes._

_“What? No. They’re not going to divorce. I was born first, they always had been this way.”_

_He knows they’re fighting a lot but that doesn’t mean they’re going to divorce, right? Things are not so bad._

_“Yes they are, they received letters from different lawyers.”_

_He shakes his head._

_“This doesn’t mean anything.”_

_Gray rubs his watery eyes._

_“I googled it, they’re divorce lawyers.”_

_Zach stay quiet, the knowledge slowly sinking into his mind, Gray starts to sob and he doesn’t think twice before pulling the small boy into his arms and pressing him against his chest._

_“Look, this doesn’t matter ok? We’re going to be together no matter what, we will always have one another.”_

_Gray nods but keeps crying and Zach lets him, he just press the boy even more against him and let his own tears fall._

His parents still try to act like nothing is happening and he doesn’t call them on that, Gray is better now, he is resigned with the fact that soon their father will be moving out of their house.

The body behind him shifts and he tauts. Yeah, everything that is good ends. He takes a few more moments, just a few more to save this moment on his mind, to keep this forever, and then he tries to stand, the arm around his middle tightens and he is pulled more into his teacher’s body, the feeling of lips on his neck have him biting his lip to stop a moan, he takes Mr. Grady’s hand and stops himself from intertwining their fingers, he wonders what it would be like to hold his hand, wonders if his hand would envelop his completely and if his fingers would caress his palm. With another sigh he lifts the hand and slips out of the bed, almost falling when his legs tangle in the sheets, steading himself he looks back at the man. Mr. Grady is burying his face into Zach’s pillow and holding it close to his body, like he misses the body that was pressed to his a few seconds ago, his lips are slightly parted and his hair is disheveled. He takes his backpack and runs into the bathroom when the man shifts on his sleep.

At the same time, he wants to keep the memories from his moments with the man forever in his mind and he wants to burn them into oblivion. It’s hard when your heart sings with happiness at the sight of someone and your chest hurt with the consciousness that this person will never be yours. He braces his hands on the sink and looks at himself in the mirror. There are bags under his eyes since he couldn’t sooth his mind enough to sleep last night, and his hair is falling into his eyes, he brushes the strands away and keeps himself busy changing and thinking about the convention.

When he comes out of the bathroom Mr. Grady is sitting on the bed with a sleepy face and a small smile. Zach thinks he looks adorable and wants to climb into the bed with him. He stops a good distance from the bed and looks at the man, a small smile playing on his lips.

“I’m ashamed.”

Zach’s heart skips a beat. He knows he was spooning him less than half an hour ago? _Please God no._ He can feel his cheeks starting to burn.

“Why?”

“You’re the teenager, you should sleep more than me.”

Zach rolls his eyes letting out a breath.

“You’re not much different from a teenager.”

Mr. Grady gives him a lopsided smile and runs a hand through his messed hair.

“Well, I will take that as a compliment.”

The boy shrugs and sits in the edge of the bed opposite to where the teacher is.

“As you wish.”

The man stands and Zach busies himself with finding the remote control to avoid look at him.

“I will change and we can go grab some breakfast ok?”

He just nods and turns the TV on. Mr. Grady stops for a second, almost like he is going to say something but he finally sighs and closes the bathroom door behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm NOT an archaeologist and everything I written about the raptors' is on my own.  
> And I don't know if this kind of projects even happen in the USA, but they are really normal in my country, so I'm working with what I know.

The convention is much bigger than Zach had thought. Mr. Grady said it would be just some teachers and their students, but they have even a _fucking T-Rex fossil_ on the hall, Zach is tall, but he had to almost crack his neck to see the entire thing. If two thousand people is “small” for Mr. Grady, Zach doesn’t want to know if he can handle what he would think to be a big one. There are lots of awesome projects and lectures, people from all over the country came to show their projects on the Jurassic Era, there’s a scientist called Dr. Henry Wu who found a fossilized mosquito and he thinks he can recreate dinosaurs from the blood inside the insect. Zach found himself fascinated for the idea and Mr. Grady was really excited about it, but he is not sure if he likes the idea of dinosaurs walking on the Earth again, if his own project is something to go with, he doesn’t want ever for them to come back.

He is sitting in one of the tables outside the building and waiting for the teacher to come back with their lunch, the sun is bright and the sky blue, there’s less people outside and Zach finds himself relaxing against his seat. Their presentation had been a few hours ago and Zach’s hands had shaken the entire time, but when they finished Mr. Grady had smiled and told him he did good, some teachers he doesn’t even know the name had shaken his hand and congratulated him, he had just nod and smiled afraid that his wobbly legs would give up, the boy was so grateful when Mr. Grady took his arm and pulled him away that he almost missed the warmth that spread along his muscles where the man’s fingers were touching his skin, _almost_ , he didn’t thought he could be more aware of the teacher than he already was, but after this morning he is aware of every one of the man’s movements. Mr. Grady didn’t seem to know what happened and Zach is forever grateful for that, he had no idea what he would do if the teacher had wake to see the boy into his arms, just the thought leave his cheeks burning with shame. _I need to get over it before he suspects something._ He knows how the teacher is when he wants to discover something and he sure as hell doesn’t want to be discovered.

He is pulled out of his thoughts at the sound of his cellphone, one look at the screen shows Gray’s smiling face.

“Hey.”

“Hey Zach, how was the presentation?”

He can’t stop a smile at the sound of his brother’s cheerful voice.

“Was ok, you would love it here, there’s so much things. There’s a T-Rex fossil and a doctor who thinks he can bring the dinosaurs back to life.”

“Really? How?”

“Mosquito’s blood.”

Gray stay quiet for a moment and Zach almost can see the wheels turning inside his little genius head.

“That’s make sense, but I don’t know if he would recreate them with only that, it’s been millions of years, the DNA can be damaged. Probably he will need to fill the gaps with something, maybe another’s reptile blood?”

“Like I would know.”

Zach mutters and traces slowly the shape of a dinosaur on the table.

“When will you come back?”

“Tomorrow night I will be home.”

He doesn’t think what it would be like to sleep another night with Mr. Grady.

“Ok. Mom’s calling me. See you tomorrow.”

“Bye.”

He brushes his hair out of his eyes and looks around to see if the teacher is coming back but there’s no sign of him, his stomach grumbles and he sighs taking his headphones. Zach is scrolling through his playlists when someone asks:

“You’re the raptors’ guy, right?”

Looking up he is met with a pair of blue eyes. The boy in front of him is taller than him, brown curtly hair, tanned skin, a tribal tattoo on his left forearm, his muscles are lean and long but they’re definitely there, smile wide and bright. Zach stares at him for a moment, not sure if he is really talking with him.

“Uh, yeah?”

“I saw your presentation. I’m Brian.”

He extends his hand and Zach shakes it.

“Zach.”

“Can I sit?”

“Sure.”

He watches the other boy curiously while he puts his backpack on the ground and sits in the chair besides Zach, he would like more if the guy took the other seat but he doesn’t say anything. Brian gives him a smile and leans closer.

“I saw your presentation and that was really amazing. The research you did about the raptors’ is impressive. I would never think about them as a pack.”

The idea of the pack came to Zach after they had drawn on the board, even as a child Mr. Grady seemed to be brilliant, even if he didn’t knew what he was doing, ‘cause the idea of velociraptors living as a pack is pretty sure reasonable, based on what they already knew about their dynamics about living in groups, they had searched through photos and the position of the fossils looked like they worked in a social order.

“They were a lot like wolfs.”

“Did you saw Dr. Wu lecture?” He waits a second for Zach’s nod before going on. “Just imagine all the possibilities, all this.” He gestures at the building besides them. “Could be proven truth. I really hope he manages to take the blood from that mosquito.”

Zach changes on his seat.

“I’m not sure if this could be a good thing to have dinosaurs on the Earth again. That meteor hit the Earth for some reason, right?”

“So you believe in destiny?”

Zach bit his lip furrowing his brows for a moment.

“I’ve never thought about that.”

“Not a mystic guy?”

Brian gives him a lopsided smile.

“What was your presentation about?”

Zach asks so the guy would stop asking _him_ questions. Brian supports his elbow in the armchair and rests his chin on his hand.

“I’m here just out of curiosity.”

Zach doesn’t know what to say to that, so he just nods and looks to his feet.

“Would you like to kill my curiosity?”

Brian’s voice is suddenly closer making him jumps back a little, eyes wide.

“On what?”

“People, I love to know people and I want to know you.”

“I don’t think you would like that.”

Zach’s body tense when the other boy’s fingers brushes his hand. It’s not that Brian is ugly, he is pretty good looking, and he seems to be a nice guy, but Zach is not the kind of person whom goes around kissing someone he barely knows, without saying that a sense of wrongness runs through his body the moment Brian’s hand had touched his, he is not the person Zach wants to touch him.

“Wanna bet?”

The words are whispered almost against his lips, he puts his hand on the boy’s chest and pushes him back.

“I don’t want, ok?”

Brian stops and looks at him right in the eyes, a blush starts to creep on his cheeks and he leans back.

“Sorry.”

Zach opens his mouth to say something but a plate of food is placed in front of him and he looks up to see Mr. Grady staring at them with an unreadable expression.

“Sorry for taking so long, the queue was long. Who is your friend?”

He turns to look at the boy and if Zach didn’t know him better he would say he was glaring.

“This is Brian, he was congratulating me for the presentation.”

Mr. Grady sits in the free chair and eat a fry, chewing it slowly and still looking calmly at the guy, he smiles, and to any other person would seem like he was being sincere.

“So you like raptors?”

Zach takes a fry between his fingers and look at Brian. The boy is still red and he doesn’t know if it is from what had happened before Mr. Grady arrives or the way the man is looking at him. He would be running home if the teacher looked at him that way. Maybe he knew Brian from somewhere? But the boy didn’t seem to know him.

“Yeah, your research is pretty interesting.”

“Why do you think that?”

His tone is light and conversationally, Zach eats another fry while watching them.

“Well, I’ve never considered them acting as a pack.”

The teacher shrugs.

“Considering that they were smaller than the most of the dinosaurs they hunted, that would be obviously.”

Zach frowns, even if he is smiling his shoulders are tense and his voice is not the same easy cadence he usually use when talking with the students, but Brian seems unaware of that, he even chuckles and scratches the back of his neck.

“When you put like that, yes.”

The man just gives him a close mouthed smile and picks up his hamburger, Brian seems to take the tip and stands.

“I’m going to let you eat now. Nice to meet you…”

He trails off looking at the teacher.

“Mr. Grady.”

“Mr. Grady.” He turns to the boy, a shy smile on his lips. “And you Zach.” He lowers his voice a little. “I’m sorry again.”

Zach waves at him and gives Brian a small smile.

“That’s ok.”

Brian walks away and Zach turns to finish eat his lunch but the look on Mr. Grady’s face makes him freeze.

“What he did to you?”

He finds himself frowning again.

“What?”

“He apologized. Why?”

Zach can feel his cheeks burn and he stares firmly at his food.

“It’s nothing.”

He watches the boy for a few more seconds before turning back to his own food. Zach exhales a long breath and nudges his hamburger when he feels the weight of Mr. Grady’s gaze leave him. There’s just something so _wrong_ about telling the teacher that Brian wanted to kiss him, like he was doing something completely amiss, all of this is just so unfair, why he can’t just like a normal guy? Someone he could be with? Someone like Brian? Someone that doesn’t make his chest hurt with longing and want. He sighs and takes a bite of his food.

“Do you want to see any other lecture?”

He is pulled out of his thoughts by the teacher’s voice, looking up he sees that his eyes softened again and that he is looking expectantly at Zach. Probably he wants to go back home as fast as he can, surely he has better things to do than stay with Zach, no one wants to expend the weekend with his student.

“No.”

He licks his lips to catch a smudge of ketchup he can feel there, and he really, really is imagining that Mr. Grady follow the motion with his eyes.

“Ok, we’re leaving when we finish this.”

Zach just nods, he is not sure if this should make him happy or sad.

 

 

***

 

 

To his surprise Mr. Grady doesn’t take their way back but turns on the opposite side. He furrows his brows and asks where they are going but the man just shakes his head with a smile and keeps driving, refusing to answer Zach’s inquiries. He leans his head against the seat, feeling his eyelids heavy, finally his lack of sleep from last night and all the nervousness from the day start to pick up with him, he yawns and try to keep his eyes open, but there’s something about the way the car moves, the low music playing and the smell of the teacher’s perfume that makes impossible to. His world turns black when he drifts off.

“Zach.”

He grumbles and changes a little but settles again and goes back to sleep.

“Zach, wake up.”

He blinks slowly and gives the man in front of him a small smile. It’s a very, very good dream and he really doesn’t want to wake. Not when Mr. Grady is looking at him with suck an pleasant face.

“Hey.”

His voice is heavy with sleep and the teacher chuckles.

“Hey there. Come on, I want to show you something”

Reality hits him like cold water and his eyes snap completely open, straightening he tries to hide his blush. _God, I hope I hadn’t said anything. Do I even talk when I’m sleeping?_ He looks shyly at the man that is looking back at him with an amused smile playing on his lips.

“I… Uh…”

“Come on.”

Mr. Grady gets out of the car and Zach takes a deep breath before following him. The smell hits him instantly. Salty water and freedom. Then comes the sound. Waves rolling and hitting the sand with force. It’s been so long since he last has been on a beach. Family vacation is not something they do anymore, not when his parents can’t stay in the same place for more than half an hour, and since Gray’s was born their only trips were to their grandparents’ house. He takes his shoes off and rolls the hem of his pants up without even thinking on what he is doing, he can’t contain the large smile that spreads on his face, he walks straight to the water, feet sinking in the warm sand, well aware of the man following him, eyes closing for a moment when the waves touch his bare feet. There’s something magic about the sea, like a song that you can hear if you stay very quiet. He thinks that if he lived a long time ago he would have been a sailor, or a pirate, he could be a pirate right? A small chuckle leave his lips at the thought, he can feel Mr. Grady giving him a questioningly look, still smiling the boy bents down and catches some of the water into his cupped hands looking back at the teacher with a grin.

“No.”

Mr. Grady’s green eyes widen and he extends a hand as to stop him, although he is already splashing water in the man’s direction. It’s childish and he probably shouldn’t be doing that with _his teacher_ , but the last thirty six hours were hard and now he is on his favorite place on Earth with the man he loves, maybe he could give himself this moment. Mr. Grady is looking at him with amusement shining on his eyes as he splashes water on his direction, Zach laughs and they keep splashing into each other till they’re both wet and laughing like they don’t have a concern in the world.

He looks breathless at the man and his breath catches in his throat. Of all the times that he had seen him, he never looked so pretty. His brown reddish hair is splattered onto his forehead, clear green eyes shining, lips curved into a wide smile, muscles relaxed and completely wet. Zach wants to kiss him so bad on this moment that his body starts to shake.

“Why did you bring me here?”

Mr. Grady smiles and steps closer, sensing that their “war” is over.

“You said that you love the sea.”

Zach stares at him with disbelief.

“Do you still remember?”

That was months ago, he would never imagine that he would remember that, not something so ordinary as his student likes. Mr. Grady smile widens.

“Of course I do.”

And Zach’s chest hurt with gratefulness and love, and he wants so much to tell this man that this means to world for him, he wants to pulls him down and kiss him, wants to hug, wants to show in any way possible that this gesture is more than anyone had ever done for him, more than he could ever ask. Instead he allows himself to give Mr. Grady his brightest smile – let him think it’s because the sea – and says softly:

“Thank you.”

The man looks at him for a long time, time enough that he bites his lip nervously and changes his weight from one foot to the other, that seems to break something and Mr. Grady blinks and turns back to look at the sea. Zach turns too and stares at the setting sun feeling lighter and heavier at the same time.

 

 

***

 

 

Zach had not realized that they had stopped on a small town, a typical beach town. The fishermen are climbing their boats to go to the night fishing, there’s a small restaurant with all the types of seafood, everybody knows everybody and people keep eyeing them while they walk soaked through the streets. Zach was midway telling Mr. Grady about the time he was ten and tried to surf when something catches his eyes. He turns his head to finds a small shop made of bamboo and with coco’s leaves as roof, there’s pendulums made of seashell and dream catchers hanging in the air, fairy lights shine and a girl is sitting on a cushioned turtle shell while playing a guitar. Zach walks to the shop and he can feel the other man walking one step behind him, the girl smiles when she sees them and stops playing, probably they don’t have many customers if her enthusiasm means anything.

“Welcome to Shells.” She jumps to her feet putting the guitar aside. “I’m Anne, what can I do for you?”

Zach just gives her a nod.

“Just looking.”

“Ok, tell me if you need anything.” She turns to Mr. Grady. “And you?”

“I’m with him.”

The boy doesn’t know why his words send a shiver down his spine, but they do. Anne settles down again and starts playing some calm music that Zach doesn’t know, they walk around; there’s picture frames decorated with shells and pearls, sea animal’s statues, shark teeth, paintings of the sea and boats. It’s exactly like the shops Zach used to go when he was a kid, he had told so many stories about the sea to Gray because his little brother never really had the chance to see it. His eyes catch what he was looking for and with a grin he takes up a necklace with a white-blue shell hanging from a string, the shade of blue remember the color of Gray’s eyes and he curl his fingers around it. He handles the necklace to Anne and looks around for Mr. Grady. The man is standing beside the shop, looking at the sea and seeming lost on his own thoughts, Zach just stay quiet waiting for him, although less than a minute later he is walking to where the boy is.

“Are you finished?”

Zach nods.

“Yeah, Gray will love it.”

Mr. Grady cocks his head furrowing his brows for a second.

“Your little brother?”

It’s his time to furrow his brows.

“Yes?”

His answer seems to easy a tension in the man’s shoulders that he hadn’t notice and he starts to walk beside Zach with an easy smile.

“What you brought for him?”

“A necklace, Gray had never been in the sea, so I’m going to give him a piece of it.”

“That is very nice.”

Zach returns his smile and with a pang to his chest asks:

“Brought something?”

“Nah, there’s no one to brought things for.”

The boy doesn’t know if he should feel relieved or sad.

“No one?”

Mr. Grady’s smile turns sad.

“Never knew my father, my mother died from cancer when I was ten and my twin brother Peter disappeared the night she died, never saw him again after that.”

Zach bites his lip. What is he supposed to say to that? He wanted to reach and touch him, to let the man know that he is there, that he will not leave, even if that doesn’t mean the same thing for him.

“I’m sorry.”

He says softly, the man smiles at him.

“It’s ok, it was a long time ago.” He stops and turns. “Here we are.”

Zach looks to where the man is looking and sees a house that remembers him very much of the little shop they just leave. Everything is so small here that they don’t need to bring the car, it’s less than seventy feet to where the truck is parked. The hotel is small and warmly, there’s an old man sitting behind the desk and he smiles at them when they stop in front of him.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, we want two rooms.”

The boy’s breathe catch on his throat while waiting for the man’s reply.

“Surely, just for tonight?”

“Yes.”

He exhales relieved and takes the keys while Mr. Grady sign the papers.

“We are still serving dinner.”

Zach’s stomach grumble in response and he turns in a bright shade of red when Mr. Grady gives him an amused smile.

“We would like that.”

They walk side by side through the small corridor, he handles Mr. Grady his key and opens his door.

“I’ll see you in thirty minutes ok?”

“Ok.”

 

 

***

 

 

One hour later they are sitting in one of the tables, the light is dim and a low music that Zach doesn’t recognize is playing in the background. Zach’s heart is beating on his ears and not for the first time that day he contemplates about given up on his plan and letting everything go, but then he remembers what Mr. Grady had said about not having anyone and for the first time since he knew the man he thinks how lonely he must be. So he fishes the necklace inside his pocket and places it on the top of the table, the teacher stops mid-sentence and looks at him questioningly, Zach gives him a sheepish smile and looks down.

“Saw this at the convention and thought you would like.”

Mr. Grady takes the necklace into his fingers carefully studying it. It’s simple really. A leather string wrapped around a raptors’ claw, the claw is a real one and Zach had paid a little amount of money for it, but the man doesn’t need to know that. His thick fingers run through the ancient claw slowly, eyes shining with amazement and Zach know he had made the right choice, his chest is filled with pride and joy, he lets a small smile tug at the corners of his lips while watching the man study the necklace, finally the teacher looks up, and Zach can’t place the look on his eyes, but his voice is soft when he talks.

“You didn’t need to.”

The boy brushes the dark strands of hair out of his eyes.

“I wanted to.”

For a moment seems like Mr. Grady is not sure if he wants to look at the boy or to the claw, he ends up putting the necklace around his neck and looking at Zach, he just stares at him and doesn’t say a thing, emotions crossing his eyes so fast that Zach doesn’t have time to acknowledge what they mean. His heart is beating fast and hard against his ribs and he is sure his cheeks are burning bright red right now, he lowers his eyes and fumbles with the hem of his hoodie for a moment before Mr. Grady’s voice makes him look up.

“Thank you.”

He nods and pretends to yawn.

“It’s better if I go back to my room.” Standing he avoids looking at the man’s eyes. “Goodnight Mr. Grady.”

For a moment looks like he is going to say something, but then he exhales and replies.

“Goodnight Zach.”

He wonders what the man was going to say to him, looking over his shoulder he sees him turning the claw between his fingers and staring at it. Maybe he shouldn’t have given him that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Owen's backstory is entirely mine, and I LOVE the idea of him and Peter being twins. I'll sure as hell work more with it (:

**Author's Note:**

> Soooooo, this was supposed to be a one-shot, but I LOVED writing this and now it is going to be a series, I really don't know where I'm going with this.  
> I hope you enjoy this and I want to know your opinion. Please feel free to leave a kudo or a comment (:


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